2 March 2026
Fourth newsletter: Production and Packaging turn design into reality
A look at how the Production and Packaging teams handle manufacturability, cost and emissions, and tight integration to build a reliable ER26 car.
LiU Formula Student
Fourth Newsletter for the ER26 project
This month, we want to shine a spotlight on two teams that play a crucial role in turning ideas into reality: The Production and Packaging Team. Together, they ensure that our designs don’t just look good in CAD, they can actually be built, assembled, and perform reliably on track.
Production
The Production Team is responsible for making sure that the car can physically be manufactured. Acting as the bridge between our technical design teams and real-world production. The team works closely with the LiU workshop, which is one of our most vital resources. From managing materials, fasteners, tools, and 3D printers to reviewing hundreds of technical drawings, Production ensures that every component is designed with manufacturing in mind.
A major new responsibility for the team this year is the Cost & Manufacturing event. This means that Production is not only focused on how parts are built, but also on calculating their cost and the carbon emissions generated during production through Life Cycle Assessment. With a team of nine members, the work is divided between Production Engineers, who collaborate directly with technical teams on manufacturability, and Cost & Emissions Analysts, who compile the Costed Carbonized Bill of Material and optimize our performance in this key competition event.
The most intense period for the Production Team is the production phase between January and March. Especially challenging are the weeks right after the Christmas break, when all production documentation must be finalized and reviewed. To help reviewing all the documents Production uses AI-driven examination from T&S Engineering. The device makes sure all the drawings are up to standard and also help to streamline the design process. Thanks to T&S Engineering the Production team can focus more on innovation and practical teamwork. Despite the pressure to finalize everything, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing CAD models transform into physical, functioning parts, a moment every system engineer looks forward to.
Packaging
Equally essential is the Packaging Team, whose mission is to ensure that all systems fit together seamlessly inside the car. The Packaging Team focuses not only on technical progress but also on team development and collaboration. Creating an inclusive and supportive environment is a key priority, making sure every member feels confident and integrated into the organization.
The team consists of 12 members and is divided into four subteams: Battery Container, Cooling System, Brake Lines, and Electronics Packaging. Their responsibility is to design and construct all mechanical parts related to electronics and system integration, ensuring that everything is lightweight, compact, watertight, and precisely packaged. Because of this, precision is absolutely critical. When space is limited, every millimeter matters.
Packaging collaborates closely with all technical teams, but especially with the Chassis Team, where alignment and communication are vital. The most stressful period occurs at the end of the design phase at the beginning of the year, when final design decisions are made before parts are sent to production.
And finally, a highlight no one should miss: the legendary yearly beer testing event, where the members of the organisation test different beers and the winning brew earns the honor of becoming this year’s cooling system catch can.
Together, Production and Packaging are key to transforming theory into reality and ensuring that our car is not only fast and innovative, but also buildable, reliable, and competition-ready.
LiU Formula Student – Where Students Become Professionals